Rubber heel



C. H. INGWER RUBBER HEEL Filed Nov. 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' 5 u m m zmmsz C. H. INGWER RUBBER HEEL Filed NOV. 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [A EL HV //\/6 WEE Patented Apr. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to cushion heels for attachment to footwear and has to do with treads formed of rubber and rubber composition.

It will be appreciated that a heel body tends to Wear rapidly along the extreme outer edge, whereas there is but negligible wear in the center portion thereof. This is not due to any deficiency in the composition or makeup of the heel, but results from the tendency on the part of the wearer not to set the heel down squarely.

Hence, since it would be out of the question to produce individual heels suited to the particular user, it is my intention to provide a heel that is supplemented in the zones ordinarily subject to greatest wear, such as the extreme outer edge of the tread surface with underlying voided portions that tend to permit the heel body to yield more than the zones of negligible wear, such as the center portion of the tread surface, thereby inducing an even wear across the total area of the tread surface.

Hence, the principal object of this invention is to offset rapid wear along the extreme outer edge of the tread surface and to induce an even wear thereacross.

This invention is directed to a heel having voids or passages that may or may not extend entirely through the body and underlying the zone or zones wherein greatest wear ordinarily occurs. However, it is to be understood that the voids and passages are not necessarily limited to placement adjacent the extreme outer edge of the heel and may be advantageously arranged at points other than along the edge, where noticeable wear might occur, as opposed to negligible wear at some other point on the tread surface.

Other objects and advantageous features of this invention will be noted hereinafter.

In the accompanying detailed description and drawings like characters of reference designate like parts, and wherein:-

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a heel wherein the voids are placed along the sides and rear of the heel; and,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly broken away of the heel shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a heel, showing passages extending laterally and entirely through the rear section of the heel.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the heel shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevation similar to that shown in Fig. 3, wherein the lateral passages terminate near the center of the heel.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an elevation showing the voids disposed along the marginal edge of the heel rearwardly from the tread.

Fig. 8 is an elevation showing longitudinal passages paralleling the extreme outer edge from the tread to the arcuaterear portion.

Referring to the drawings, in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the invention is shown as applied to a heel H of rubber compositions, such as that shown in my co-pending application S. N. 460,325, filed June 11, 1930. Briefly, this heel in its general contour, is concave, convex both longitudinally and laterally with a spherical curvature on the attaching surface l0 and tread surface II thereof. Means for attaching the heels to a shoe are formed in the washers 23 that are embedded in the material of the body and are surrounded by protuberances -2I extending outwardly from the tread surface the faces of which lie in complemental plane beyond the plane of the tread surface.

In everyday use, the rear extreme outer edge of the heel ordinarily wears out before the front or breast, and in Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown the tread surface H as being provided with an in tegral heel plate I that extends along one side of the heel as well as along the rear arcuate edge thereof, 'adapted for persons who wear the heel out along this edge. In Figs. 3, l, and 5 the tread surface is shown with a wear plate 2, balanced on either side of the median line of the heel and following the arcuate rear edge, the ends being equidistant from the breast 3, adapted for those who wear off the rear edge of the heel rather than the side edges, all of which is set forth in detail in my co-pending application supra. Figs. '7 and 8 show ordinary heels distinguishing over the heels of the remaining figures by the absence of wear plates.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be noted that the body of the heel is provided with a plurality of voids 5 extending radially inward along the arcuate rear edge as well as one side that underlie the extreme outer edge 6. These voids extend only part way into the heel body, and, as noted, may be of varying lengths and may, if desired, be staggered vertically, altho they are evenly spaced apart'and liein the same plane in the view shown. Further, in this particular showing, the voids are confined to the limits defined by the wear plate I. So much for the heel of Figure 1, which will be hereafter referred to.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the body portion of the heel is shown with transverse passages 1 that extend entirely through the body of the heel and are open to the atmosphere at each end. The passages, Fig. 4, are arranged in rows, disposed in vertical planes one above the other and. each individual passage is staggered vertically with relation to the passage directly thereabove. In this showing the passages lie within limits defined by the balanced heel plate 2. So much for the heel of Figs. 3 and 4, which will be hereinafter referred to.

Fig. 5 is identical with Fig. 3, with the exception that the passages are blanked at or near the centers thereof, or, in other words, terminate short of the mid-portion of the heel, so that where one continuous passage is shown in Fig. 4 there now appear two shorter passages l2 and I4 separated by a wall 8 integral with the heel. This heel will be hereinafter dealt with.

In Fig. 7, I have shown an ordinary heel having the voids identical as to size and arrangement as those described in Fig. 1. However, in this form of heel, the voids are entirely around the marginal edge of the heel from one side of the breast around to the other. If desired, the voids could even be arranged across the face of the breast, although I have not shown this particular feature. So much for Fig. 7, which will be hereinafter referred to.

Fig. 8 goes to the depicting of longitudinal passages l5 following the marginal edge or throughout the entire body of the heel and opening at the breast and terminating at a point along the arcuate rear edge, preferably within limits corresponding to the termini of the passages shown in the heel of Fig. 5. As many of these passages may be provided as desired. However, I have shown groups of them on each side merely as an arbitrary number.

Referring again to Fig. 1, it will be appreciated that the voiding of the body portion along a line that ordinarily defines, for this particular heel, the zone of greatest wear, not only supplements the wear plate but will make for a certain increase in give or resiliency over the normal give of the central area of the heel that will tend to offset wear along the extreme outer edge of the heel, both around the arcuate rear portion and down one side, or in the zone ordinarily receiving greatest wear.

As for the heel of Figs. 3 and 4, as well as Figs. 5 and 6, the placement of the passages transversely of the heel will impart to the arcuate rear portion of the body a give or yield greater than that of the central area and will tend to preserve the life of the extreme outer edge around the arcuate rear portion.

In the heel of Fig. '7, the positioning of the voids entirely around the marginal edge of the heel will tend topreserve the life of the extreme outer edge, from one end to the other, starting at the left hand side of the breast and following around the arcuate rear portion to the right hand side of the breast.

In Fig. 8 greater emphasis is placed on preserving the life of the extreme outer edge of the heel alongits longitudinal sides, although it will be apparent that the passages may terminate farther back along the arcuate rear portion and thus be effective to preserve the outer edge at this point.

It will be appreciated that various combinations will occur to those skilled in the art, such as applying voids as shown in Fig. '7 to the heel of Fig. 1, or to combine the passages of Fig. 8 with the voids of Fig. 1. However, I do not care to limit myself to the exact forms shown in the accompanying drawings and described herein, inasmuch as it is evident that various other forms of heel may be employed to equal advantage Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having just described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A heel comprising a body portion having a top surface and a tread surface and a wall defining the contour of the heel extending entirely therearound, said wall being curved at the rear portion of said heel, and a plurality of apertures disposed in said wall and extending inwardly toward the center of said heel spaced from the tread surface.

2. A heel comprising a resilient body portion having a top surface and a tread surface, the edge of said heel having a plurality of openings disposed therein, said openings being staggered vertically.

3. A heel comprising a resilient body portion having a top surface and a tread surface, an extreme outer edge, a wear plate extending around the rear portion of said heel and lying more along one side of said heel than the other, and a plurality of spaced voids overlying said built up surface and extending part way into said heel.

4. A heel comprising a body portion that is .concave convex on every line of cross section and 2% having an extreme outer edge, and a plurality of passages extending longitudinally of said body portion and lying adjacent the extreme outer edge of said body and on opposite sides of the median line of the heel body.

5. As an article of manufacture, a rubber heel having an attaching surface and a tread surface, said tread surface having a plurality of circular tread members extending therebeyond and integral therewith and a reinforced portion encompassing at least one of said tread members, said tread member and said reinforced portion lying in the zone ordinarily receiving the greatest wear, the body of said heel being yieldable in the zone ordinarily receiving the greatest wear by virtue of a plurality of voids extending inwardly toward the center of the heel and in a plane substantially parallel with the tread and attaching surfaces.

6. As an article of manufacture, a rubber heel comprising a body portion having an attaching surface and a tread surface, a breast and a continuous outer edge normal to the attaching and tread surfaces, said edge being arcuate adjacent the rear portion of the heel, a plurality of tread members extending beyond said tread surface, a reinforced portion adjacent the arcuate rear edge of the heel and extending beyond said tread surface in a direction normal to the plane thereof, said heel being voided in that portion overlying the reinforced portion whereby said reinforced portion will yield under impact to a greater degree than the remainder of the body.

CARL H. INGWER. 

